Children do Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre proud in SPAR Lancashire School Games

Schoolchildren from across the Fylde coast stormed to success at this year’s SPAR Lancashire School Games County finals, clinching six medals.

More than 2,000 pupils from 15 districts took part in the largest youth sporting event across Lancashire.

They competed in 16 sports following months of qualifying competitions. This year pupils enjoyed battling it out in glorious sunshine at Stanley Park in Blackpool.

Team Blackpool scooped a silver medal in the specialist schools tee-ball competition, helped by Park Community Academy, while Highfurlong School pupils brought home silver in the inclusive new age kurling competition.

Team Wyre was helped to success by the girls from Shakespeare Primary School, who battled it out in the action-packed final against Chorley’s Euxton CE Primary School before snatching the gold trophy for the third year running.

The success did not stop there, with Wyre’s Carleton St Hilda’s CE Primary School also bagging silver in the high five netball and Rossall School taking bronze in the tri golf competitions.

Lytham Hall Park Primary School also wowed judges in the mixed cricket tournament, which saw the school bring home gold for team Fylde.

The title of overall county champions was presented to team Chorley for the second year running, with the district clinching a total of nine medals and beating last year’s total of six.

The opening ceremony was hosted by Rock FM and presenter Pete Otway introduced pupils marching in the district parade.

The parade was led by team Chorley after Ayeesha Mahmood from Buckshaw Primary School won the annual cultural flag competition.

Gabriella Sykes from Oakhill School in Ribble Valley shared her pledge speech at the opening ceremony, underpinning the values which the SPAR Lancashire School Games upholds: determination, honesty, passion, respect, self-belief and teamwork.

The Lancashire Lion, SPAR Lancashire School Games mascot, was on hand to cheer on pupils throughout the day, while more than 200 young leaders from across Lancashire volunteered to support the event in a variety of roles, such as school games-makers and, new for 2018, SPAR media leaders.

During the closing ceremony, children entertained the crowds with energetic performances.St Aiden’s High School performed a dance medley from Cats and spectators were also treated to a performance from Britain’s Got Talent star Ella Shaw.

Now in its 12th year, the SPAR Lancashire School Games is organised by Active Lancashire, implemented by the county’s school games organisers and sponsored by James Hall & Company Ltd, SPAR distributors for the North of England.

Peter Dodding, sales and marketing director at James Hall & Company Ltd, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to support and be part of the biggest youth sporting event in Lancashire.

“We are committed to encouraging young people of all abilities to participate in competitive, inclusive team sports, and each year at the county finals I am blown away by the passion that children across Lancashire have for keeping active.”

Dave Rohman, school games organiser for Blackpool, said: “As the SPAR Lancashire School Games continues to grow each year we see more and more youngsters across Lancashire taking part, having fun and trying new sports, which is exactly what we aim to achieve.

“As always, the county finals event was a huge success and it was fantastic to see youngsters from across the district getting in the team spirit at each sporting event.

“Congratulations to everyone who took part and a huge well done to Blackpool area pupils for making everyone in the district proud.”

Full results for the SPAR Lancashire School Games finals at Blackpool’s Stanley Park.

KS3 inclusive orienteering (mainstream)

Gold – Hyndburn: Accrington Academy

Silver – Burnley: Blessed Trinity RC College

Bronze – West Lancashire: St Bede’s Catholic High School

KS3 inclusive orienteering (specialist schools)

Gold – South Ribble: Moor Hey School

Silver – Burnley: Ridgewood Community High School

Bronze – Heysham

Tee-ball (mainstream)

Gold – Pendle: Pendle Vale College

Tee-ball (specialist schools)

Gold – Burnley

Silver – Blackpool: Park Community Academy

Bronze – Blackburn

Inclusive new age kurling

Gold – Chorley: Mayfield School

Silver – Blackpool: Highfurlong School

Bronze – Burnley: Ridgewood Community High School

PAN football

Gold – Chorley: Holy Cross Catholic High School

Silver – Lancaster

Bronze – Hyndburn

Primary orienteering (Y5/6)

Gold – South Ribble Worden

Silver – South Ribble Brownedge

Bronze – Rossendale

Touch rugby

Gold – South Ribble Worden: Balshaw’s Church of England High School

Silver – Blackburn: Darwen Vale High School

Bronze – Ribble Valley: St Augustines RC High School

Quad kids athletics (Y3/4)

Gold – Chorley: Euxton CofE Primary School

Silver – West Lancashire: Aughton Town Green Primary School

Bronze – Heysham: Bolton-le-Sands Primary School

Duathlon (Y7/8)

Gold – West Lancashire: Burscough Priory Science College

Silver – Chorley: Albany Academy

Bronze – Rossendale: Haslingden High School

Duathlon (Y9/10)

Gold – Rossendale: Hasslingden High School

Silver – Chorley: Albany Academy

Bronze – Preston

High five netball (Y5/6)

Gold – Ribble Valley: Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School

Silver – Wyre: Carleton St Hilda’s CE Primary School

Bronze – Burnley: St Joseph’s Park Hill School

Tri golf (Y3/4)

Gold – Preston: St Andrew’s CE Primary School

Silver – South Ribble Worden: Ashbridge School

Bronze – Wyre: Rossall School

Super 8 athletics (boys)

Gold – Chorley: Holy Cross Catholic High School

Silver – Lancaster: Lancaster Royal Grammar School

Bronze – South Ribble Worden

Super 8 athletics (girls)

Gold – Chorley: St Michael’s CE High School

Silver – Blackburn: St Bede’s Roman Catholic High School

Bronze – Preston: Archbishop Temple School

Girls’ football

Gold – Wyre: Shakespeare Primary School

Silver – Chorley: Euxton CE Primary School

Bronze – Heysham: Great Wood Primary School

Kwik sticks hockey (Y5/6)

Gold – Lancaster

Silver – Heysham: St Peter’s Church of England Primary School

Bronze – Chorley: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School

Rounders

Gold – Ribble Valley: Bowland High

Silver – South Ribble Worden: Balshaw’s Church of England High School

Bronze – Blackburn: Westholme School

Mixed cricket

Gold – Fylde: Lytham Hall Park Primary School

Silver – Ribble Valley: Pendle Primary School

Bronze – Blackburn: The Olive School

Overall winners

Gold – Chorley 184 points

Silver – Burnley 182 points

Bronze – West Lancashire 167 points